Stewardship is taken for granted as an intellectual Christian virtue. The problem is that it chains people to the concept of being a servant and treating others like servants. We all go through a maturing process where we steward another man’s vision and serve their goals, but that’s not the end. Sonship is authenticity, a level of relationship with God where we understand our inheritance and own it. Caleb asked for His inheritance and Hebron “belonged” to Caleb, Josh 14:14. Ownership of our inheritance or purpose is a spiritual shift in the way we relate to God about business. More importantly, we treat other people in the light of what they own; we honor the purpose and inheritance God has given them. We mature people into sonship by helping them embrace what they own. All this leads us to some simple Kingdom truths:

• The key to humility and authority is knowing what you own and don’t own.
• The key to leadership and sales is discerning what other people own and inviting them into it.
• Ownership transactions occur in the Courts of Heaven.
  1. You can’t sell what you don’t own (think purpose, Rom 8:28).
  2. You can’t lead in a metron or a purpose you haven’t been given.

Ps 115:16 – The heavens are the heavens of the LORD,
But the earth He has given to the sons of mankind.

Mt 5:5 – Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

My Story – I worked for years on our family ranch growing up under my dad’s instruction. He explained what we were trying to do (break horses, irrigate, put up hay, fix fences, move cows) but he wanted me to think for myself. I felt the transition from servant to son. In the beginning I just tried to hear the instruction, do what I was told, and please my Father. It seldom worked. There were too many variables, unknowns, and surprises. Circumstances always stayed from the box of my instructions, and I had to think for myself. But that was exactly what my dad wanted, a partner, not a slave. He was most proud of me when I handled the surprise and got the job done anyway. I graduated from a servant working for my dad, to a son working with Him. That same working for to working with transition happened in my relationship with God when I transitioned from servant to son, from steward to owner.

D-Day – Another analogy is D-day. GIs on the ground knew the big picture but had the liberty to make decisions without being told what to do. The difference in the outcome was servants waiting for orders vs sons on the same purpose page taking initiative. This stuff is practical.

Sonship is owning Purpose – We’ve all been schooled to be servants who faithfully steward God’s instructions. The ideology of screening our actions through “What Would Jesus Do?” actually takes us out of our hearts and into religious pretense. Father isn’t wanting us to connect with a theological theory. He wants a conversation with His son or daughter about the why, the purpose. Once we’re on the same purpose page, Father’s conversational question for us is:

• “What would you do?”
• “What do you want to do?”
• “What aspect of this purpose is written in your heart?” What excites you?

The standard of Kingdom is He expects us to use His authority as a Son, make some decisions about implementation of our shared purpose, and get a result from the heart that feels like a dream come true. He’s not looking for robotic compliance, He’s looking for relational creativity from sons who are on the same purpose page and know why. There are always multiple ways to get a result. Does it really matter which we choose? Isn’t Father blessed by Sons who put Kingdom purpose first and show initiative? The real genius of sonship is regular, relational conversations in the council that send sons back to earth with clear purpose. Sons are apostolic sent ones, angels on assignment, here to own a Reformation of Nations (not wait for it).

The real Issue – Servants are reluctant to risk the intimacy of conversations. They are dodging the responsibility that goes with understanding purpose. They are prone toward the safety of someone else taking care of them. Their greatest fear is personal exposure. They choose a life of religious pretense to cover apprehensions of being themselves.

• Fear keeps Father at arm’s length. “Outward adornment + inner turmoil”
• Servants are like sleeping beauty. They need an Awakening!
• Light is the natural means of awakening slumbering servants.

The spirit of truth breathes on servants and the light gradually awakens their heart to a loving Father. Sons can be a source of living, prophetic, loving words of life and light that heal wounded hearts. Slumber is a protective barrier, and ideological cocoon that insulates painful vulnerabilities from exposure.

Sonship – is the invitation into Father’s heart, the access to your seat in heaven complete with all the conversations and strategies of His Kingdom. It feels like Cinderella’s invitation to the ball. Kingdom is like being invited to a banquet. You can hear the music of heaven and see the legions of God’s army, the activity of the cloud of witnesses who have gone before us.

Life is a privilege, an opportunity to say to Father, Here am I Lord, send me! His Kingdom is an all-volunteer army. It is a cross, a decision to move out of servant and into son, but His load is easy, and His burden is light. There are no regrets in sonship. It thrills our hearts to be chosen by Father to own an important part of His strategy, carry responsibility, to be on His team, to have the opportunity for heroism, to realize we were designed for it, to be celebrated in Heaven, to be integral with my own heart and be myself – whom God created for sonship.

John 15:15 – I no longer call you servants,
because a servant does not know his master’s business.
Instead, I have called you friends   

The Transition – Before we experience sonship, this could all feel like this is all splitting hairs and semantics. However, the experience of feeling chosen as a Son is very profound and often a circuitous process winding its way through our identity to authenticity; in sync with how we’re fearfully and wonderfully made… to be sons and daughters. Sonship has a practical aspect in business: we own our business and the purpose that goes with it.

• What we proudly say: I am God’s servant
• What Heaven Hears: I am a serf
• What Father Says: All creation is waiting for Sons:

Rom 8:19 – For the eagerly awaiting creation waits
for the revealing of the sons and daughters of God.

Heb 2:10 – For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things,
in bringing many sons to glory,
to perfect the originator of their salvation through sufferings.
11)    For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father;
for this reason He is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters,

More on this topic: the above graphics, this blog, and the video discussion were inspired by my own Council sessions. They have much more on this topic, and they have instructional links so you can do it to:

• 2024-09-17 Council – Own Your Inheritance

What We Do – We help Kingdom Businesses find and fulfill their unique purpose while producing value and cash flow. We integrate Father’s Courts, Council, Purpose and Passion for Business leaders in a 1-on-1 format. Our Axiom – Have fun, create value, love people, and build the Kingdom!

• Get on our mailing list with a free copy of Intentional Reformation.
• Get on John’s calendar for a Zoom conversation.
  1. We start with a Purpose Profile to get your Kingdom purpose in writing.
  2. Have DIY options and a fleet of coaches with different specialties to choose from.
  3. We’re partnering with Larry Nault at BuildingaKingdomCompany.com.

The discussion on this topic was really good: